(Steve Goodman)Ridin' on The City of New OrleansIllinois Central Monday morning railFifteen cars and fifteen restless ridersTwo conductors and a-twenty-five sacks a' mailAll along the southbound odysseyThe train pulls out at KankakeeAnd moves on along past houses, farms and fieldsPassin' trains what ain't got no namesSwitch yards full a' old black menAnd the graveyards full of them rusted automobiles[Chorus]Good mornin' America, how are ya?Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native sonI'm the train they call The City of New OrleansAnd I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is doneA-dealin' cards with an old man down in the club carJust a penny a point ain't a-nobody keepin' scoreSay won't you pass that there paper bag that's a-wrappin' the bottleFeel them wheels rumblin' under that floorAnd the sons of Pullman portersAnd the sons of engineersRide their daddy's magical carpet made out of steelMamas with their babies asleepin'Are rockin' to the gentle beatAnd the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel[Chorus]Good mornin' America, how are ya?Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native sonI'm the train they call The City of New OrleansAnd I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is doneNight-time on The City of New OrleansA-changin' cars a-down in Memphis, TennesseeWell, a half way home, and a we gonna be there by mornin'Through the Mississippi darknessRollin' down to that seaNow all a' them towns and all the people seemTo fade away into a bad ol' dreamBut the steel rail, well he still ain't heard that newsConductor's a-singin' that song againSayin' "Passengers will please refrain"This train done got the disappearin' railroad blues"[Chorus]Good night America, how are ya?Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native sonI'm the train they call The City of New OrleansAnd I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done[Fade out.]Mamas with their babies asleepin'Are rockin' to the gentle beatAnd the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feelMamas with their babies asleepin'Are rockin' to the gentle beatAnd the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feelYeah.